The World Has Dropped
by only here in your arms
Summary: An alternate ending to Drop the World pt. 2. Eli reacts to Clare leaving him at the hospital and Clare has a different reaction when she arrives back at Degrassi. DIFFERENT THAN THE EPISODE!


**This is an alternate ending to Drop the World pt. 2. How I kind of wish the episode ended. Feel free to tell me how you thought it should've ended and what your feelings were about the episode. Loved Eli and Bullfrog, Munro's acting throughout the entire episode, Aislinn's acting in the hospital, and even KC/Jenna and Holly J/Fiona. I loved the episode except the ending. You'll see my take on it here. Please enjoy.**

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><p>I tried to grab onto Clare's hand, tried to prevent her from leaving. She pulled away from me, saying she couldn't do it, she couldn't be with me. And she left. She left in tears. I turned my body to the window behind me, watching her walk away, wiping her tears, out of the hospital. Out of my life.<p>

I did what I did to prove to her that I would do anything to be with her. She said she hated the hearse so I got rid of the hearse. Morty stood in the way between happiness with Clare and myself but I guess that just wasn't the case. Clare said I scare her and that I was manipulating her. I **wasn't**. I'm **not**. I just…I love her so much. I can't lose her. She is the only person who knows me, understands me, and loves me. But she didn't choose me…but my love for her will be always.

"Eli," I heard Bullfrog say behind me. It was at least ten minutes now since Clare left and Bullfrog, who I knew probably wants to kill me, put a hand on my shoulder. "Eli, just…just please don't overreact."

"Overreact?" I scoffed, sitting up slightly. "My girlfriend just broke up with me and walked out and you don't expect me to overreact?" I was getting angry. It was finally setting in. I **just** lost my girlfriend. I lost someone I loved…once again.

"Eli, you have to understand where Clare's coming from," Bullfrog said as he tried to reason with me.

"I LOVE HER!" I shouted as loudly as I could. Bullfrog stepped back as I continued my rampant rage. "I love her! I did everything that I could to make her happy with me! She loves me too and she knows that! And she just left! She left me, Dad! I thought she just wanted me to get rid of Morty so I did! I did this so she would be happy! I love her so much that I would do anything for her and I just wanted her to understand that! Clare…I just…I love her, Dad. I do. Why can't she just understand that?"

I was throwing a fit, waving around my hands, shifting my body and I could feel my leg throbbing as I kept moving around and Bullfrog did his best to hold me down and prevent me from moving. "Eli, please calm down," he pleaded. He had his hands on my shoulders, pushing me down onto the bed but I tried to fight him off of me.

"I have to find Clare," I kept saying over and over. "I need to see her, I need to be with her!"

"Eli!" Bullfrog shouted in my face. I was on the verge of tears and I felt the cuts on my face reopening as stinging also took over my skin. "You are not going anywhere. You are staying here and you are going to see a doctor."

"NO!" I screamed directly in his face. "I NEED CLARE!"

"You need to calm down!" Bullfrog replied just as loudly. "Eli, please. If you won't do it for me, do it for Cece. You know that she's probably hysterical right now and it would not help if she came here to see you going ballistic. Now please, Eli. For Cece, calm down."

He was definitely right. Cece, my amazing, loving mother. It would break her heart even more to see me like this. So I took deep breaths, relaxed my body, and settled down into the bed. Bullfrog pulled away from me, running his hands through his hair and over his face. When he pulled his hands away from his face I realized that he was crying.

I was causing him pain too… "Dad…Bullfrog, I'm…I'm sorry. I'll be calm from now on, I swear."

Bullfrog rubbed his eyes and sniffled, resting his hands on his hips and held his head down. He was so upset that he was crying. I haven't seen him cry in a long time and now he's crying because of me.

"Eli, I'm sorry," he said in a broken tone. "I'm sorry we didn't get you the help that you needed."

"Don't be sorry," I pleaded to him, hating to see him so upset. "I'm sorry for all of this. I should have just shown Clare how much I love her in a different way than crashing Morty." I laughed nervously to relieve the tension but obviously it didn't work.

"Eli, just the fact that you wanted to jeopardize your life just to show someone how much you love them…you're not well, Eli. That is not normal behavior. When Cece comes, I'm going to talk to her about getting you help."

Help? They want to get me help? I'm in love, not crazy! "Dad, I'm fine. I guess I was just driven this way because I love Clare so much! Love makes you do crazy things right?"

"Yes, but not _this_ crazy, Elijah," Bullfrog said seriously. He used my real name, meaning he was definitely not kidding. "I love you son, which is why I think it's time we got help for you. You shot Julia's picture with a gun because she was making you angry, then you steal the car after I took your keys away, now you crashed the car to prove your love! Do you know how scared and worried Clare sounded when she called me? She was terrified! After seeing the gun in your car, I could practically see her shaking just because of her voice. It's not normal, Eli. It's not love. It's…so much deeper in your mind than that."

Just then, Cece opened the door and I saw her, makeup running down her face, red eyes, and a very worried expression. "My baby! Oh my God, Eli!" she was shrieking. She came over to the bed and hugged my body tightly. I didn't even care how much my body ached as her death grip crushed bruises on my shoulders and upper body. I hugged my mother back tightly, crying for the first time that night. Seeing Bullfrog cry was one thing, seeing both him and Cece bawling was just too much for me.

"I'm sorry," I cried into Cece's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't trying to kill myself."

"Then why?" Cece said hysterically crying. "How could you do this, Eli? We could've lost you!"

"I did it for Clare," I admitted, still crying. "I love her, Mom. She said she hated the hearse so…I tried to get rid of Morty."

"Are you crazy?" Cece yelled with a shaky voice. "Eli, how could you? Clare…she didn't mean for you to jeopardize your life! And how dare you steal the car when we take away your car privileges! What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to prove to Clare how much she means to me," I told Cece sadly. "But…she walked away from me Mom. She broke up with me. She thinks I'm manipulating her."

"Are you?" Cece asked.

"NO!" I shouted. Cece winced and I immediately apologized. "I'm sorry. I'm not manipulating her, she thinks I am, but I'm not Mom, I swear. I never tried to. I tried to spend time alone with her, with the spring break trip, and she told me that we're not meant to be together, but come on? Clare and I are soulmates! Right? We're going to be together forever! We're meant to be! Everything I've done, I did for her. I don't know why she thinks I'm manipulating her."

"Eli, you have to understand that Clare is a 15 year old girl. Sure she's intelligent and mature but she is also a teenager and she needs her space. Needing space, needing time apart is normal, especially if you're an independent person like Clare is. Just because she needs space doesn't mean she loves you any less. And…don't you think that putting this expectation of forever is unrealistic? Not to say that you're not meant to be with Clare but right now, you're so young!" Cece was on the verge of crying again as she sat beside me on the hospital bed. I looked at the copy of Gothic Tales in my hand, clutching it tightly.

"Look Eli," Bullfrog sighed and sat on the other side of the bed. "I do think that you need to get help. This overdependence on Clare, your actions and feelings all haywire, it needs to be controlled. I love you, Cece loves you, and Clare loves you and I have no doubt in my mind that she would want you to get help for this. And you have to understand where she's coming from. Her boyfriend just got into a car accident for her, it's unnerving for any person."

"**I just wanted to make her happy and love me again**," I said in a low voice, keeping my head down.

"She does love you, honey," Cece said when she took my hand. "But…right now, I don't think she can. Her heart must be broken."

"Well what about me?" I asked whispering. "Clare just walked out on me."

"Time heals everything," Bullfrog answered, quoting himself from earlier in the day. "Give Clare time, give yourself time to get better, and if it's true, you will be together again."

Cece pulled me into another hug and I hugged her back again, resting my head against her shoulder. I felt Bullfrog take my hand into his, both of my parents keeping me comforted as I tried not to focus on my broken heart and relationship.

Clare left me but she wasn't gone forever, like Julia. Clare can be mine once again, as it should be. But maybe Bullfrog and Cece are right. Maybe I do need help. Maybe I need to do this to get Clare back. I'd do anything…I'd do anything to get Clare back.

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><p>How could be <strong>do<strong> this? Eli, the smooth, intelligent, thoughtful guy I met at the beginning of the year, has become this possessive, manipulative, intense guy who needed to spend so much time with me, was so dependent on me. He crashed his car **for me** just because I said I didn't like it. He almost died because of what I told him. I can't be walking on eggshells when I'm in a relationship. Anything I say could be turned into something I don't mean and could result in disastrous things like tonight.

**I almost lost him.**

I walked back barefoot to Degrassi, heels in my hand as I approached the front steps. Alli was waiting for me. I had texted her on the way back, saying I would be back from the hospital and that Eli was okay. She smiled when she saw me approaching and I still couldn't fathom how she could still be in a good mood even after what I just went through.

"I think you should go back in so you can forget about all of this and have fun, you deserve it you know," Alli told me once I sat beside her.

Have fun? How can I even think of having fun when the guy I loved was just in a car crash, almost lost his life, and it now in the hospital? What kind of reaction would that be? "I'm not going back inside, Alli," I said in a stressed tone. "I'm gonna go home."

"You're going to let Eli ruin the night which we worked so hard for?" Alli asked, almost angry. "Come on Clare! He is affecting all of your feelings, he's taken away the cheerful, happy Clare!"

Was it true? Did Eli take away my happy Clare persona? Sure I was a bit more sarcastic and lately it hasn't been great but Eli hadn't always made me this way. Earlier in the year I recall being so happy and so in love with Eli as we worked on the play together, as he and I grew closer as we bonded over our problems and things going on in our lives. Just because the past few weeks, the crazy story of Eli's as he modeled the fiancé he kills in Stalker Angel after me, the whole intense situation as he tries to get me to spend more time with him, just because lately it hasn't been perfect doesn't mean he changed me.

"It's not like that, Alli," I told her. "Eli has problems he needs to deal with but just because I haven't been the same doesn't mean it's his fault."

"But look at you! Making excuses for your boyfriend! That was never you!" Alli said, waving her hands around.

"No, but that was you," I replied in a harsh tone. "Alli, you were always sticking up for Johnny even though he had his problems. You took back Drew through his mistakes. And when I have a boyfriend who I want to stick by, you get all judgmental! Alli, Eli is sick and I need space, yes, but Eli is not the bad person you're making him out to be! He's not changing me, Alli. If anything he made me more mature. I broke up with him tonight because he needs to realize how much his actions are not of normal behaviors and I can't be with him because he almost lost his life for me and he has issues of his past to deal with before we can be together fully without anything in the way. Alli, everything you've ever said about Eli has been negative. Never have you supported my relationship with him!"

"Maybe because he's not good for you!" Alli exclaimed. "You said so yourself, he's sick!"

"Yes he's sick and he needs help, Alli! But that doesn't mean he's not a good person! I love him and I want him to get better and maybe when he's gotten help, we can—"

"You're not seriously considering being his girlfriend again, are you? Not after—"

"There you go again!" I cut her off angrily. "You have never once supported me in this relationship. This isn't Eli! The Eli I fell for was the smart, suave guy that liked me because I was smart not because he thought I was pretty. This Eli, the underlying layer of him that came out as he and I were official, I know this is not really him. It comes out because of his past girlfriend who he lost. Have some sympathy for him, Alli. He's been through so much and you, you're just judging what you've seen and heard. You don't know him Alli so you can't make any judgment. You're being very hypocritical."

"I'm looking out for you!" I could tell that Alli was getting annoyed. But did I care?

"Are you? Because I think you have something against him. You barely know anything about my relationship and connection with Eli and now you think you can make all of these assumptions about what I should do about this situation but you know what? I'm going to go with what I think feels right and it's not what you think is right. I am going to give Eli the space he needs to get better and once he is, he and I can discuss getting back together. I love him Alli and his problems, his actions, don't make me love him less. If anything, it makes me what to help him more. I'm done talking about this with you, Alli. I'm going home."

I stormed away from the steps of Degrassi towards my house. I wanted to run home so I could just cry in my bed but I had no energy left. So I walked slowly, just trying not to fall on my face. I was exhausted, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I felt so many things in my heart and my head.

But I knew I did the right thing. I had to leave Eli at the hospital and I had to break things off with him. The phone call with him made me realize that Eli's actions and what drove him this way was because of his loss last year, and his dire need of constant companionship was also a result of the loss. I understand that. Hearing him yell at me, laugh menacingly over the phone was so surreal and I knew this wasn't the real Eli. I love him enough to give him the obvious space and time he needs to get better. He can't get better if I'm still there. Eli bases his actions off of me and I can't be there to be that girl.

Seeing Eli at the hospital was the worst moment of my life. I was relieved to see that he was alive, that I didn't lose him permanently, but to see him so badly scared, bruised, and with a broken leg? I wanted to cry. I did cry. I still want to cry.

I arrived at my house and went straight to my room. My mom was already in hers so I did my best to be as quiet as possible. I dropped my shoes in the corner, got dressed in a t-shirt and pajama pants and fell into my bed, clutching my pillow.

I almost lost Eli tonight, in the literal sense, lost Eli relationship wise, and could have ended my friendship with Alli. I cried into my pillow, bringing out so many emotions. I saw my mascara smearing onto the pillow case but I didn't care. I let out everything as I cried and cried for hours.

Around midnight I got a text. From Adam, it said, "_I just heard about Eli. Can we talk tomorrow?_"

I didn't even reply but I wanted to talk to Adam. He was the only person who could help me in this situation, seeing that Adam was there every step of the way in my relationship with Eli. He could help me understand, help me cope, help me deal.

I fell asleep soon after, still thinking about Eli. I love him, I really do, but letting him go was probably the best thing I could do for him at this point.

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><p><strong>Yeah, I hated how Clare went back into the dance and I hate how Alli was being so judgmental and also manipulative. You can probably tell that. Reviews?<strong>


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